@UlvDakota : Thank you very much!
Quests & Challenges
Quests, Challenges, and Festival games.
TOPIC | The Elements - A Lineage Project
@UlvDakota @sgkat
New lore update today! It's a LONG one. I'm having a lot of fun writing this! [b]TL;DR version:[/b] I rented a Water nest today, and the next 3 hatchlings for this project will hatch on 12/24.
[b]Lore Update - Dec. 19, 2015[/b]
The mountain spire that was home to Clan Adeptica rose sharply out of the ocean. The waves lapped against a sheer wall of rock on every side of the spire - except for one. The passage of time and the constant motion of the tides had caused what was once a tiny crack in the rock to become a small cave with a little sandy beach at its mouth. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=16929885]Rarity[/url] had been the first to discover this cave, when her mother had been teaching her to fly. She had learned to swim at the same time, drawn to the ocean by the instincts of one hatched in the Water realm, and had spotted the cave while swimming around the spire. It had since become a favorite hiding place for her and her playmates.
Later, after the clan had adopted [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=18742261]Torger[/url], the stonecutters and builders of the clan had carved a spiraling staircase into the side of the mountain, linking the sandy beach and the entrance to their lair. Without that staircase, the only way to reach the lair had been by flight, which, the clan leaders had wisely realized, effectively made Torger a prisoner in his own home.
One evening, as the clan was settling down for dinner, Rarity's antennae gave a sudden twitch. "Someone's in trouble," she said. Her jewel flashed in warning.
"Where?" said her mother, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15947165]Snowblossom,[/url] as she set a bowl of Tundra Grubs before the clan's insectivores.
"Down at the bottom of the mountain... I think," said Rarity. "It's faint, but it's there. I have to go check it out. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15969878]Cobweb,[/url] I think you should come, too." Cobweb was the clan's healer-mage.
"I'll come with you," [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=14333398]Lilia[/url] volunteered. "In case there's trouble." Behind her delicate Fae appearance, she was one of the clan's four strongest warriors.
Rarity nodded. "Let's go." The Skydancer allowed the two Fae siblings to hitch a ride on her tail as she flew out of the cave mouth.
The party returned some time later by the stairway. They were guiding a bright-blue Guardian up the steps. Cobweb was flitting about, casting quick bursts of healing magic at the Guardian's injured wing. "Flamestrike," he said as they entered the lair, "I believe I will require your assistance."
"Right away!" [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=16521523]Flamestrike[/url] said, setting her Lucky Star salad aside and hurrying away to her hoard of herbs.
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=18938782]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/189388/18938782_350.png[/img]
[/url]
Fluorine gazed at the newcomer with great interest, intrigued by his markings and the unknown that he represented. The dark, squiggly pattern on his powerful wings really did have a hypnotic effect on her. For a fleeting moment, she wished she could have broad, majestic wings like that, but it passed quickly, giving way to a sudden desire to feel them wrapped around her. She hoped Cobweb and Flamestrike could heal him quickly.
Snowblossom got the newcomer something to eat, while the healer-mage and the herbalist attended to his wounds. He told the clan his story over dinner. His name was Nautilus, and he had been hatched near the edge of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. He had left home for his Search not long ago, but had been attacked and wounded when he had accidentally stumbled into Beastclan territory in the no-being's-land where the borders of the Starfall Isles, the Scarred Wasteland, and the Windswept Plateau all met. Land-bound, but unable to resist the urge to continue the Search, he had decided to walk, skirting the edge of the Plague lands until he had come to the edge of a new ocean. Not having found anything of interest yet, but still unable to fly, he had walked right into the ocean and swum among the spires of the Crystalspine Reaches until he could go on no longer.
"Thank you for your generosity," Nautilus said. "I don't deserve all this kindness and attention. I'm a failure. I failed even to protect myself. When I can fly again, I think I'll just go back home."
The other Guardians in the lair gasped. "Are you out of your mind?" [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=14051086]Devon[/url] said, his contempt obvious.
"I didn't mean back to my clan's home. I just meant back to the Water realm. At least I'll be relatively safe there." He hung his head in shame.
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Fluorine said to Nautilus. "Nobody likes being ambushed, but it could have happened to anyone. It doesn't mean you should give up on yourself, or on your Search."
"You stay out of this, noodle," said Devon. "You wouldn't understand."
"Maybe I understand more than you think," said Fluorine. "I'm traveling the world on a quest, too. I may only be searching for knowledge, but if I ever do get hurt out there, I'm not just going to quit and give up. I'm going to get better and then start again. My quest for knowledge [i]is[/i] my purpose in life, I know it is. So I [i]can[/i] relate. Kinda."
Nautilus looked up at her with a hint of a smile. "I never thought I'd hear a Spiral say such a thing," he said. "If you all will allow me to stay here with you, I'll stay until I can fly again, and then I'll continue the Search."
Devon nodded. "As the patriarch of this clan, I give you welcome. You may stay."
"Wonderful!" said Fluorine, clapping her paws in delight. "If you want, maybe Lilia and [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=14333399]Cerulia[/url] here can show you the ropes of combat. They usually do that for visitors."
"[i]You're[/i] a fighter?" Nautilus said to Lilia in disbelief.
"Seventeenth level," she said, tilting the crest fins on her head at a rakish angle. "I only look cute and innocent."
"If you would like to, we can start training as soon as you're feeling up to it," Cerulia added.
"Yes, I would like that," said Nautilus.
---------------------------
Nautilus quickly grew stronger under Cobweb's and Flamestrike's care, as well as Lilia's and Cerulia's battle training. He also spent some of his recovery time talking with Fluorine about their respective journeys across the world, and comparing and contrasting their motivations for their quests. He gladly agreed to let her accompany him on the next leg of his journey. When it came time for them to take their leave of the clan, though, not all of Fluorine's clanmates were enthused about her journey.
"You can't leave [i]now![/i]" Snowblossom said. "You'll miss Night of the Nocturne!"
"I know," Fluorine answered, "but there's a new opportunity for adventure right in front of me right now, and I'm not going to let it pass me by. Anyway, the Night of the Nocturne festivities go on for two weeks. I'll only be gone for the first few days. I'll be back before it's all over."
"All right, suit yourself. We will miss you, though."
Fluorine and Nautilus set out together from the Crystalspine Reaches. They traveled southeast, in the direction of the Sea of a Thousand Currents.
"Why are we stopping here?" she said when they touched down on the shoreline. "I thought you said you were going to continue the Search."
"I am," Nautilus said. "I just thought it might help me get a clearer idea of what I'm looking for if I spent a few days reflecting on where I came from. Plus, I don't really know this particular area very well. For all I know, what I'm looking for might be here."
They explored the cliffs and beaches of the seashore, eventually finding a friendly clan that offered them shelter for the night, in a small, tide-hewn cave not unlike the one at Fluorine's home. There, on the soft sand, under the light of a million stars, Fluorine finally felt those strong wings embracing her.
"Guess we're staying here for a few days," Fluorine said a few hours later, as they were looking over the three barnacle-encrusted eggs sitting in a hollow in the sand.
"That's fine by me," said Nautilus. "I think a few days here on the beach are exactly what I need."
@UlvDakota @sgkat
New lore update today! It's a LONG one. I'm having a lot of fun writing this! TL;DR version: I rented a Water nest today, and the next 3 hatchlings for this project will hatch on 12/24.
Lore Update - Dec. 19, 2015
The mountain spire that was home to Clan Adeptica rose sharply out of the ocean. The waves lapped against a sheer wall of rock on every side of the spire - except for one. The passage of time and the constant motion of the tides had caused what was once a tiny crack in the rock to become a small cave with a little sandy beach at its mouth. Rarity had been the first to discover this cave, when her mother had been teaching her to fly. She had learned to swim at the same time, drawn to the ocean by the instincts of one hatched in the Water realm, and had spotted the cave while swimming around the spire. It had since become a favorite hiding place for her and her playmates.
Later, after the clan had adopted Torger, the stonecutters and builders of the clan had carved a spiraling staircase into the side of the mountain, linking the sandy beach and the entrance to their lair. Without that staircase, the only way to reach the lair had been by flight, which, the clan leaders had wisely realized, effectively made Torger a prisoner in his own home.
One evening, as the clan was settling down for dinner, Rarity's antennae gave a sudden twitch. "Someone's in trouble," she said. Her jewel flashed in warning.
"Where?" said her mother, Snowblossom, as she set a bowl of Tundra Grubs before the clan's insectivores.
"Down at the bottom of the mountain... I think," said Rarity. "It's faint, but it's there. I have to go check it out. Cobweb, I think you should come, too." Cobweb was the clan's healer-mage.
"I'll come with you," Lilia volunteered. "In case there's trouble." Behind her delicate Fae appearance, she was one of the clan's four strongest warriors.
Rarity nodded. "Let's go." The Skydancer allowed the two Fae siblings to hitch a ride on her tail as she flew out of the cave mouth.
The party returned some time later by the stairway. They were guiding a bright-blue Guardian up the steps. Cobweb was flitting about, casting quick bursts of healing magic at the Guardian's injured wing. "Flamestrike," he said as they entered the lair, "I believe I will require your assistance."
"Right away!" Flamestrike said, setting her Lucky Star salad aside and hurrying away to her hoard of herbs.
Fluorine gazed at the newcomer with great interest, intrigued by his markings and the unknown that he represented. The dark, squiggly pattern on his powerful wings really did have a hypnotic effect on her. For a fleeting moment, she wished she could have broad, majestic wings like that, but it passed quickly, giving way to a sudden desire to feel them wrapped around her. She hoped Cobweb and Flamestrike could heal him quickly.
Snowblossom got the newcomer something to eat, while the healer-mage and the herbalist attended to his wounds. He told the clan his story over dinner. His name was Nautilus, and he had been hatched near the edge of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. He had left home for his Search not long ago, but had been attacked and wounded when he had accidentally stumbled into Beastclan territory in the no-being's-land where the borders of the Starfall Isles, the Scarred Wasteland, and the Windswept Plateau all met. Land-bound, but unable to resist the urge to continue the Search, he had decided to walk, skirting the edge of the Plague lands until he had come to the edge of a new ocean. Not having found anything of interest yet, but still unable to fly, he had walked right into the ocean and swum among the spires of the Crystalspine Reaches until he could go on no longer.
"Thank you for your generosity," Nautilus said. "I don't deserve all this kindness and attention. I'm a failure. I failed even to protect myself. When I can fly again, I think I'll just go back home."
The other Guardians in the lair gasped. "Are you out of your mind?" Devon said, his contempt obvious.
"I didn't mean back to my clan's home. I just meant back to the Water realm. At least I'll be relatively safe there." He hung his head in shame.
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Fluorine said to Nautilus. "Nobody likes being ambushed, but it could have happened to anyone. It doesn't mean you should give up on yourself, or on your Search."
"You stay out of this, noodle," said Devon. "You wouldn't understand."
"Maybe I understand more than you think," said Fluorine. "I'm traveling the world on a quest, too. I may only be searching for knowledge, but if I ever do get hurt out there, I'm not just going to quit and give up. I'm going to get better and then start again. My quest for knowledge is my purpose in life, I know it is. So I can relate. Kinda."
Nautilus looked up at her with a hint of a smile. "I never thought I'd hear a Spiral say such a thing," he said. "If you all will allow me to stay here with you, I'll stay until I can fly again, and then I'll continue the Search."
Devon nodded. "As the patriarch of this clan, I give you welcome. You may stay."
"Wonderful!" said Fluorine, clapping her paws in delight. "If you want, maybe Lilia and Cerulia here can show you the ropes of combat. They usually do that for visitors."
"You're a fighter?" Nautilus said to Lilia in disbelief.
"Seventeenth level," she said, tilting the crest fins on her head at a rakish angle. "I only look cute and innocent."
"If you would like to, we can start training as soon as you're feeling up to it," Cerulia added.
"Yes, I would like that," said Nautilus.
Nautilus quickly grew stronger under Cobweb's and Flamestrike's care, as well as Lilia's and Cerulia's battle training. He also spent some of his recovery time talking with Fluorine about their respective journeys across the world, and comparing and contrasting their motivations for their quests. He gladly agreed to let her accompany him on the next leg of his journey. When it came time for them to take their leave of the clan, though, not all of Fluorine's clanmates were enthused about her journey.
"You can't leave now!" Snowblossom said. "You'll miss Night of the Nocturne!"
"I know," Fluorine answered, "but there's a new opportunity for adventure right in front of me right now, and I'm not going to let it pass me by. Anyway, the Night of the Nocturne festivities go on for two weeks. I'll only be gone for the first few days. I'll be back before it's all over."
"All right, suit yourself. We will miss you, though."
Fluorine and Nautilus set out together from the Crystalspine Reaches. They traveled southeast, in the direction of the Sea of a Thousand Currents.
"Why are we stopping here?" she said when they touched down on the shoreline. "I thought you said you were going to continue the Search."
"I am," Nautilus said. "I just thought it might help me get a clearer idea of what I'm looking for if I spent a few days reflecting on where I came from. Plus, I don't really know this particular area very well. For all I know, what I'm looking for might be here."
They explored the cliffs and beaches of the seashore, eventually finding a friendly clan that offered them shelter for the night, in a small, tide-hewn cave not unlike the one at Fluorine's home. There, on the soft sand, under the light of a million stars, Fluorine finally felt those strong wings embracing her.
"Guess we're staying here for a few days," Fluorine said a few hours later, as they were looking over the three barnacle-encrusted eggs sitting in a hollow in the sand.
"That's fine by me," said Nautilus. "I think a few days here on the beach are exactly what I need."
New lore update today! It's a LONG one. I'm having a lot of fun writing this! TL;DR version: I rented a Water nest today, and the next 3 hatchlings for this project will hatch on 12/24.
Lore Update - Dec. 19, 2015
The mountain spire that was home to Clan Adeptica rose sharply out of the ocean. The waves lapped against a sheer wall of rock on every side of the spire - except for one. The passage of time and the constant motion of the tides had caused what was once a tiny crack in the rock to become a small cave with a little sandy beach at its mouth. Rarity had been the first to discover this cave, when her mother had been teaching her to fly. She had learned to swim at the same time, drawn to the ocean by the instincts of one hatched in the Water realm, and had spotted the cave while swimming around the spire. It had since become a favorite hiding place for her and her playmates.
Later, after the clan had adopted Torger, the stonecutters and builders of the clan had carved a spiraling staircase into the side of the mountain, linking the sandy beach and the entrance to their lair. Without that staircase, the only way to reach the lair had been by flight, which, the clan leaders had wisely realized, effectively made Torger a prisoner in his own home.
One evening, as the clan was settling down for dinner, Rarity's antennae gave a sudden twitch. "Someone's in trouble," she said. Her jewel flashed in warning.
"Where?" said her mother, Snowblossom, as she set a bowl of Tundra Grubs before the clan's insectivores.
"Down at the bottom of the mountain... I think," said Rarity. "It's faint, but it's there. I have to go check it out. Cobweb, I think you should come, too." Cobweb was the clan's healer-mage.
"I'll come with you," Lilia volunteered. "In case there's trouble." Behind her delicate Fae appearance, she was one of the clan's four strongest warriors.
Rarity nodded. "Let's go." The Skydancer allowed the two Fae siblings to hitch a ride on her tail as she flew out of the cave mouth.
The party returned some time later by the stairway. They were guiding a bright-blue Guardian up the steps. Cobweb was flitting about, casting quick bursts of healing magic at the Guardian's injured wing. "Flamestrike," he said as they entered the lair, "I believe I will require your assistance."
"Right away!" Flamestrike said, setting her Lucky Star salad aside and hurrying away to her hoard of herbs.
Fluorine gazed at the newcomer with great interest, intrigued by his markings and the unknown that he represented. The dark, squiggly pattern on his powerful wings really did have a hypnotic effect on her. For a fleeting moment, she wished she could have broad, majestic wings like that, but it passed quickly, giving way to a sudden desire to feel them wrapped around her. She hoped Cobweb and Flamestrike could heal him quickly.
Snowblossom got the newcomer something to eat, while the healer-mage and the herbalist attended to his wounds. He told the clan his story over dinner. His name was Nautilus, and he had been hatched near the edge of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. He had left home for his Search not long ago, but had been attacked and wounded when he had accidentally stumbled into Beastclan territory in the no-being's-land where the borders of the Starfall Isles, the Scarred Wasteland, and the Windswept Plateau all met. Land-bound, but unable to resist the urge to continue the Search, he had decided to walk, skirting the edge of the Plague lands until he had come to the edge of a new ocean. Not having found anything of interest yet, but still unable to fly, he had walked right into the ocean and swum among the spires of the Crystalspine Reaches until he could go on no longer.
"Thank you for your generosity," Nautilus said. "I don't deserve all this kindness and attention. I'm a failure. I failed even to protect myself. When I can fly again, I think I'll just go back home."
The other Guardians in the lair gasped. "Are you out of your mind?" Devon said, his contempt obvious.
"I didn't mean back to my clan's home. I just meant back to the Water realm. At least I'll be relatively safe there." He hung his head in shame.
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Fluorine said to Nautilus. "Nobody likes being ambushed, but it could have happened to anyone. It doesn't mean you should give up on yourself, or on your Search."
"You stay out of this, noodle," said Devon. "You wouldn't understand."
"Maybe I understand more than you think," said Fluorine. "I'm traveling the world on a quest, too. I may only be searching for knowledge, but if I ever do get hurt out there, I'm not just going to quit and give up. I'm going to get better and then start again. My quest for knowledge is my purpose in life, I know it is. So I can relate. Kinda."
Nautilus looked up at her with a hint of a smile. "I never thought I'd hear a Spiral say such a thing," he said. "If you all will allow me to stay here with you, I'll stay until I can fly again, and then I'll continue the Search."
Devon nodded. "As the patriarch of this clan, I give you welcome. You may stay."
"Wonderful!" said Fluorine, clapping her paws in delight. "If you want, maybe Lilia and Cerulia here can show you the ropes of combat. They usually do that for visitors."
"You're a fighter?" Nautilus said to Lilia in disbelief.
"Seventeenth level," she said, tilting the crest fins on her head at a rakish angle. "I only look cute and innocent."
"If you would like to, we can start training as soon as you're feeling up to it," Cerulia added.
"Yes, I would like that," said Nautilus.
Nautilus quickly grew stronger under Cobweb's and Flamestrike's care, as well as Lilia's and Cerulia's battle training. He also spent some of his recovery time talking with Fluorine about their respective journeys across the world, and comparing and contrasting their motivations for their quests. He gladly agreed to let her accompany him on the next leg of his journey. When it came time for them to take their leave of the clan, though, not all of Fluorine's clanmates were enthused about her journey.
"You can't leave now!" Snowblossom said. "You'll miss Night of the Nocturne!"
"I know," Fluorine answered, "but there's a new opportunity for adventure right in front of me right now, and I'm not going to let it pass me by. Anyway, the Night of the Nocturne festivities go on for two weeks. I'll only be gone for the first few days. I'll be back before it's all over."
"All right, suit yourself. We will miss you, though."
Fluorine and Nautilus set out together from the Crystalspine Reaches. They traveled southeast, in the direction of the Sea of a Thousand Currents.
"Why are we stopping here?" she said when they touched down on the shoreline. "I thought you said you were going to continue the Search."
"I am," Nautilus said. "I just thought it might help me get a clearer idea of what I'm looking for if I spent a few days reflecting on where I came from. Plus, I don't really know this particular area very well. For all I know, what I'm looking for might be here."
They explored the cliffs and beaches of the seashore, eventually finding a friendly clan that offered them shelter for the night, in a small, tide-hewn cave not unlike the one at Fluorine's home. There, on the soft sand, under the light of a million stars, Fluorine finally felt those strong wings embracing her.
"Guess we're staying here for a few days," Fluorine said a few hours later, as they were looking over the three barnacle-encrusted eggs sitting in a hollow in the sand.
"That's fine by me," said Nautilus. "I think a few days here on the beach are exactly what I need."
@UlvDakota @sgkat
Sorry it took me so long to get this posted! Between NotN and real-life Christmas activities, I haven't had time to update this thread until tonight.
I've made some minor edits to the lore update in the post above this one, and I hope I'll be able to get more lore written and posted tonight or tomorrow. For now, here's the latest hatchling update!
Hatchling Update #3
There were three hatchlings in this clutch! (And they've been adults for days now, so I had to use the Scrying Workshop to create these pictures. They're still coded so that you can click on them to go to the dragons' pages.)
Hydrogen
She's my favorite of this clutch.
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Sorry it took me so long to get this posted! Between NotN and real-life Christmas activities, I haven't had time to update this thread until tonight.
I've made some minor edits to the lore update in the post above this one, and I hope I'll be able to get more lore written and posted tonight or tomorrow. For now, here's the latest hatchling update!
Hatchling Update #3
There were three hatchlings in this clutch! (And they've been adults for days now, so I had to use the Scrying Workshop to create these pictures. They're still coded so that you can click on them to go to the dragons' pages.)
Hydrogen
She's my favorite of this clutch.
Oxygen
Nitrogen
@UlvDakota @sgkat
Sorry it took me so long to get this posted! Between NotN and real-life Christmas activities, I haven't had time to update this thread until tonight.
I've made some minor edits to the lore update in the post above this one, and I hope I'll be able to get more lore written and posted tonight or tomorrow. For now, here's the latest hatchling update!
Hatchling Update #3
There were three hatchlings in this clutch! (And they've been adults for days now, so I had to use the Scrying Workshop to create these pictures. They're still coded so that you can click on them to go to the dragons' pages.)
Hydrogen
She's my favorite of this clutch.
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Sorry it took me so long to get this posted! Between NotN and real-life Christmas activities, I haven't had time to update this thread until tonight.
I've made some minor edits to the lore update in the post above this one, and I hope I'll be able to get more lore written and posted tonight or tomorrow. For now, here's the latest hatchling update!
Hatchling Update #3
There were three hatchlings in this clutch! (And they've been adults for days now, so I had to use the Scrying Workshop to create these pictures. They're still coded so that you can click on them to go to the dragons' pages.)
Hydrogen
She's my favorite of this clutch.
Oxygen
Nitrogen
@UlvDakota @sgkat
Finally got a new lore update written! This is an extra-long post because it covers all the important events since my last story post. (Including the fact that I put Fluorine and Amaranthus on one of my own nests tonight, and they had 3 eggs.)
Lore Update - Posted January 9, 2016, but the events in the story take place December 24-26, 2015. (The hatchlings in the post above this one hatched on the 24th.)
The night of the winter solstice arrived. The Nocturnes living in the Water region all came out of hiding as soon as it was dark, filling the skies and cliffs with activity as they built, hunted, gathered, and bred. The clan leaders who had granted temporary living space to Fluorine and Nautilus brought a share of their holiday feast to the place where they were incubating a nest together.
The time came for the eggs to hatch. The first two hatchlings emerged from their eggs at almost the same moment, so they were named after the two elements of water, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The third was named Nitrogen, after one of the most common elements of air. Fluorine wrapped the three hatchlings in white linen fabric scraps and laid them in an empty Zalis nest. This was her third clutch, but she thought these hatchlings were just as precious and wonderful as any of the others.
Suddenly, a flock of Nocturnes flew over to their nesting grounds and hovered over them. "Glory to the Tidelord in the depths!" the Nocturnes all exclaimed together.
"Glory to the Tidelord," Nautilus answered politely, but hesitantly. "May I ask what in the world this is all about?"
"I came to tell you that I have had premonitions of great significance for the dragons of the Sea of a Thousand Currents," said a white Nocturne with deep blue eyes. "I have foreseen that when they are grown, one of these twin hatchlings will be a great general in the service of the Tidelord, the other a great seer."
Fluorine was astonished. She knew that all Water dragons were blessed with the gift of prophecy, but she had never imagined that it would be staring her in the face like this, that it would directly affect her. "W-what about the third one?" was all she could think of to say.
"He will go on an epic quest in search of something worthy of protection," said the white Nocturne.
"So, same as any other Guardian, then," said Nautilus.
"Yes."
Nautilus, Fluorine, and the flock of Nocturnes looked at the three infant Guardians in wonder. Nautilus' demeanor seemed to shift subtly. He stood straighter and with more pride, and there was a light in his eyes, a look of purpose. He stood closer to the hatchlings and gave each of them an affectionate caress.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Nautilus told Fluorine what she had suspected was true last night: he had finally found his Charge. "I know now that my purpose in life is to raise Hydrogen and Oxygen to be the best dragons they can be," he told her. "I will stay here and watch over them for as long as they live."
He already knew that Fluorine was as certain of her purpose in life as he now was, and that that meant she would have to travel on. She agreed to take Nitrogen back with her to her home clan, where he could grow up among many different dragon breeds and someday go off on a Search of his own. Fluorine and Nitrogen parted ways as good friends, and she departed for her return to her home clan later that same day. She knew she would have to hurry if she wanted to be back before Nitrogen grew too large for her to carry in her arms.
When she returned to the cave in the Crystalspine Reaches where her clan lived, Cerulia was there waiting for her in the cave mouth. "Fluorine, you're back," the azure Guardian said. "Welcome back. We had to move while you were away. I'm here to show you the way to our new lair."
"We moved?" Fluorine said. "When?"
"On the day of the Longest Night. We're still settling in. Father and Talia and I have been taking turns keeping watch over the old lair, waiting for you to return. The new one has much more space for you and your new hatchling there."
"But wasn't this place Devon's Charge? He must have been heartbroken to leave it."
"He almost was, but let me show you how we finally convinced him to."
Cerulia took off from the ledge at the entrance to the cave, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked Fluorine off her feet. She regained her balance and followed her friend up into the air, where the Guardian abruptly vanished into a nearly-invisible circle of yellow-white light. She reappeared from it just as suddenly.
"See?" she said with a grin. "We found a stable spatial warp. The other end of it is in the Starwood Strand, right next to our new lair. Father can come back here and stand watch over our old lair as much as he wants, then come home to his family. He can keep watch over both halves of his Charge without having to be away from either of them for too long. He's very happy with the arrangement."
"That's great!" said Fluorine. "Let's go see the new lair!"
Fluorine and Cerulia flew through the spatial warp together. The other end of the warp was above the treetops of the Starwood Strand, closer to the ground than where they had been. Fluorine nearly tied herself into a knot trying to reorient herself. Cerulia laughed. "Yeah, it's a little disorienting the first time you go through it," she said. "You all right?"
"I'm fine," said Fluorine, making sure Nitrogen was still safe in his linen sling. He was. "Let's go home."
Cerulia led the way to the new lair and showed Fluorine around. It was in a moderately well-hidden forest glade, where the ground and the tree limbs glittered with snow. "It was almost completely invisible in the summer, when all the trees had leaves," Cerulia explained. "I think Enchantment and Morrigan are still working on carving their burrows in that tree over there."
"Awesome!" said Fluorine. "I love it here already! I want to get started right away."
"I'll see if I can get Quoddy to watch the little one for you while you work. She just had her own clutch not too long ago."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Time passed. Fluorine created her own burrow in the spacious, ancient tree where the other two Spirals lived. Amaranthus, delighted to see her back, built a roost in the branches of that same tree. The way the nighttime lights of the Starwood Strand reflected off his faceted scales reminded her of why they'd become mates in the first place. She decided that there was no better place to raise her next nest than her new home.
Finally got a new lore update written! This is an extra-long post because it covers all the important events since my last story post. (Including the fact that I put Fluorine and Amaranthus on one of my own nests tonight, and they had 3 eggs.)
Lore Update - Posted January 9, 2016, but the events in the story take place December 24-26, 2015. (The hatchlings in the post above this one hatched on the 24th.)
The night of the winter solstice arrived. The Nocturnes living in the Water region all came out of hiding as soon as it was dark, filling the skies and cliffs with activity as they built, hunted, gathered, and bred. The clan leaders who had granted temporary living space to Fluorine and Nautilus brought a share of their holiday feast to the place where they were incubating a nest together.
The time came for the eggs to hatch. The first two hatchlings emerged from their eggs at almost the same moment, so they were named after the two elements of water, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The third was named Nitrogen, after one of the most common elements of air. Fluorine wrapped the three hatchlings in white linen fabric scraps and laid them in an empty Zalis nest. This was her third clutch, but she thought these hatchlings were just as precious and wonderful as any of the others.
Suddenly, a flock of Nocturnes flew over to their nesting grounds and hovered over them. "Glory to the Tidelord in the depths!" the Nocturnes all exclaimed together.
"Glory to the Tidelord," Nautilus answered politely, but hesitantly. "May I ask what in the world this is all about?"
"I came to tell you that I have had premonitions of great significance for the dragons of the Sea of a Thousand Currents," said a white Nocturne with deep blue eyes. "I have foreseen that when they are grown, one of these twin hatchlings will be a great general in the service of the Tidelord, the other a great seer."
Fluorine was astonished. She knew that all Water dragons were blessed with the gift of prophecy, but she had never imagined that it would be staring her in the face like this, that it would directly affect her. "W-what about the third one?" was all she could think of to say.
"He will go on an epic quest in search of something worthy of protection," said the white Nocturne.
"So, same as any other Guardian, then," said Nautilus.
"Yes."
Nautilus, Fluorine, and the flock of Nocturnes looked at the three infant Guardians in wonder. Nautilus' demeanor seemed to shift subtly. He stood straighter and with more pride, and there was a light in his eyes, a look of purpose. He stood closer to the hatchlings and gave each of them an affectionate caress.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Nautilus told Fluorine what she had suspected was true last night: he had finally found his Charge. "I know now that my purpose in life is to raise Hydrogen and Oxygen to be the best dragons they can be," he told her. "I will stay here and watch over them for as long as they live."
He already knew that Fluorine was as certain of her purpose in life as he now was, and that that meant she would have to travel on. She agreed to take Nitrogen back with her to her home clan, where he could grow up among many different dragon breeds and someday go off on a Search of his own. Fluorine and Nitrogen parted ways as good friends, and she departed for her return to her home clan later that same day. She knew she would have to hurry if she wanted to be back before Nitrogen grew too large for her to carry in her arms.
When she returned to the cave in the Crystalspine Reaches where her clan lived, Cerulia was there waiting for her in the cave mouth. "Fluorine, you're back," the azure Guardian said. "Welcome back. We had to move while you were away. I'm here to show you the way to our new lair."
"We moved?" Fluorine said. "When?"
"On the day of the Longest Night. We're still settling in. Father and Talia and I have been taking turns keeping watch over the old lair, waiting for you to return. The new one has much more space for you and your new hatchling there."
"But wasn't this place Devon's Charge? He must have been heartbroken to leave it."
"He almost was, but let me show you how we finally convinced him to."
Cerulia took off from the ledge at the entrance to the cave, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked Fluorine off her feet. She regained her balance and followed her friend up into the air, where the Guardian abruptly vanished into a nearly-invisible circle of yellow-white light. She reappeared from it just as suddenly.
"See?" she said with a grin. "We found a stable spatial warp. The other end of it is in the Starwood Strand, right next to our new lair. Father can come back here and stand watch over our old lair as much as he wants, then come home to his family. He can keep watch over both halves of his Charge without having to be away from either of them for too long. He's very happy with the arrangement."
"That's great!" said Fluorine. "Let's go see the new lair!"
Fluorine and Cerulia flew through the spatial warp together. The other end of the warp was above the treetops of the Starwood Strand, closer to the ground than where they had been. Fluorine nearly tied herself into a knot trying to reorient herself. Cerulia laughed. "Yeah, it's a little disorienting the first time you go through it," she said. "You all right?"
"I'm fine," said Fluorine, making sure Nitrogen was still safe in his linen sling. He was. "Let's go home."
Cerulia led the way to the new lair and showed Fluorine around. It was in a moderately well-hidden forest glade, where the ground and the tree limbs glittered with snow. "It was almost completely invisible in the summer, when all the trees had leaves," Cerulia explained. "I think Enchantment and Morrigan are still working on carving their burrows in that tree over there."
"Awesome!" said Fluorine. "I love it here already! I want to get started right away."
"I'll see if I can get Quoddy to watch the little one for you while you work. She just had her own clutch not too long ago."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Time passed. Fluorine created her own burrow in the spacious, ancient tree where the other two Spirals lived. Amaranthus, delighted to see her back, built a roost in the branches of that same tree. The way the nighttime lights of the Starwood Strand reflected off his faceted scales reminded her of why they'd become mates in the first place. She decided that there was no better place to raise her next nest than her new home.
@UlvDakota @sgkat
Finally got a new lore update written! This is an extra-long post because it covers all the important events since my last story post. (Including the fact that I put Fluorine and Amaranthus on one of my own nests tonight, and they had 3 eggs.)
Lore Update - Posted January 9, 2016, but the events in the story take place December 24-26, 2015. (The hatchlings in the post above this one hatched on the 24th.)
The night of the winter solstice arrived. The Nocturnes living in the Water region all came out of hiding as soon as it was dark, filling the skies and cliffs with activity as they built, hunted, gathered, and bred. The clan leaders who had granted temporary living space to Fluorine and Nautilus brought a share of their holiday feast to the place where they were incubating a nest together.
The time came for the eggs to hatch. The first two hatchlings emerged from their eggs at almost the same moment, so they were named after the two elements of water, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The third was named Nitrogen, after one of the most common elements of air. Fluorine wrapped the three hatchlings in white linen fabric scraps and laid them in an empty Zalis nest. This was her third clutch, but she thought these hatchlings were just as precious and wonderful as any of the others.
Suddenly, a flock of Nocturnes flew over to their nesting grounds and hovered over them. "Glory to the Tidelord in the depths!" the Nocturnes all exclaimed together.
"Glory to the Tidelord," Nautilus answered politely, but hesitantly. "May I ask what in the world this is all about?"
"I came to tell you that I have had premonitions of great significance for the dragons of the Sea of a Thousand Currents," said a white Nocturne with deep blue eyes. "I have foreseen that when they are grown, one of these twin hatchlings will be a great general in the service of the Tidelord, the other a great seer."
Fluorine was astonished. She knew that all Water dragons were blessed with the gift of prophecy, but she had never imagined that it would be staring her in the face like this, that it would directly affect her. "W-what about the third one?" was all she could think of to say.
"He will go on an epic quest in search of something worthy of protection," said the white Nocturne.
"So, same as any other Guardian, then," said Nautilus.
"Yes."
Nautilus, Fluorine, and the flock of Nocturnes looked at the three infant Guardians in wonder. Nautilus' demeanor seemed to shift subtly. He stood straighter and with more pride, and there was a light in his eyes, a look of purpose. He stood closer to the hatchlings and gave each of them an affectionate caress.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Nautilus told Fluorine what she had suspected was true last night: he had finally found his Charge. "I know now that my purpose in life is to raise Hydrogen and Oxygen to be the best dragons they can be," he told her. "I will stay here and watch over them for as long as they live."
He already knew that Fluorine was as certain of her purpose in life as he now was, and that that meant she would have to travel on. She agreed to take Nitrogen back with her to her home clan, where he could grow up among many different dragon breeds and someday go off on a Search of his own. Fluorine and Nitrogen parted ways as good friends, and she departed for her return to her home clan later that same day. She knew she would have to hurry if she wanted to be back before Nitrogen grew too large for her to carry in her arms.
When she returned to the cave in the Crystalspine Reaches where her clan lived, Cerulia was there waiting for her in the cave mouth. "Fluorine, you're back," the azure Guardian said. "Welcome back. We had to move while you were away. I'm here to show you the way to our new lair."
"We moved?" Fluorine said. "When?"
"On the day of the Longest Night. We're still settling in. Father and Talia and I have been taking turns keeping watch over the old lair, waiting for you to return. The new one has much more space for you and your new hatchling there."
"But wasn't this place Devon's Charge? He must have been heartbroken to leave it."
"He almost was, but let me show you how we finally convinced him to."
Cerulia took off from the ledge at the entrance to the cave, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked Fluorine off her feet. She regained her balance and followed her friend up into the air, where the Guardian abruptly vanished into a nearly-invisible circle of yellow-white light. She reappeared from it just as suddenly.
"See?" she said with a grin. "We found a stable spatial warp. The other end of it is in the Starwood Strand, right next to our new lair. Father can come back here and stand watch over our old lair as much as he wants, then come home to his family. He can keep watch over both halves of his Charge without having to be away from either of them for too long. He's very happy with the arrangement."
"That's great!" said Fluorine. "Let's go see the new lair!"
Fluorine and Cerulia flew through the spatial warp together. The other end of the warp was above the treetops of the Starwood Strand, closer to the ground than where they had been. Fluorine nearly tied herself into a knot trying to reorient herself. Cerulia laughed. "Yeah, it's a little disorienting the first time you go through it," she said. "You all right?"
"I'm fine," said Fluorine, making sure Nitrogen was still safe in his linen sling. He was. "Let's go home."
Cerulia led the way to the new lair and showed Fluorine around. It was in a moderately well-hidden forest glade, where the ground and the tree limbs glittered with snow. "It was almost completely invisible in the summer, when all the trees had leaves," Cerulia explained. "I think Enchantment and Morrigan are still working on carving their burrows in that tree over there."
"Awesome!" said Fluorine. "I love it here already! I want to get started right away."
"I'll see if I can get Quoddy to watch the little one for you while you work. She just had her own clutch not too long ago."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Time passed. Fluorine created her own burrow in the spacious, ancient tree where the other two Spirals lived. Amaranthus, delighted to see her back, built a roost in the branches of that same tree. The way the nighttime lights of the Starwood Strand reflected off his faceted scales reminded her of why they'd become mates in the first place. She decided that there was no better place to raise her next nest than her new home.
Finally got a new lore update written! This is an extra-long post because it covers all the important events since my last story post. (Including the fact that I put Fluorine and Amaranthus on one of my own nests tonight, and they had 3 eggs.)
Lore Update - Posted January 9, 2016, but the events in the story take place December 24-26, 2015. (The hatchlings in the post above this one hatched on the 24th.)
The night of the winter solstice arrived. The Nocturnes living in the Water region all came out of hiding as soon as it was dark, filling the skies and cliffs with activity as they built, hunted, gathered, and bred. The clan leaders who had granted temporary living space to Fluorine and Nautilus brought a share of their holiday feast to the place where they were incubating a nest together.
The time came for the eggs to hatch. The first two hatchlings emerged from their eggs at almost the same moment, so they were named after the two elements of water, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The third was named Nitrogen, after one of the most common elements of air. Fluorine wrapped the three hatchlings in white linen fabric scraps and laid them in an empty Zalis nest. This was her third clutch, but she thought these hatchlings were just as precious and wonderful as any of the others.
Suddenly, a flock of Nocturnes flew over to their nesting grounds and hovered over them. "Glory to the Tidelord in the depths!" the Nocturnes all exclaimed together.
"Glory to the Tidelord," Nautilus answered politely, but hesitantly. "May I ask what in the world this is all about?"
"I came to tell you that I have had premonitions of great significance for the dragons of the Sea of a Thousand Currents," said a white Nocturne with deep blue eyes. "I have foreseen that when they are grown, one of these twin hatchlings will be a great general in the service of the Tidelord, the other a great seer."
Fluorine was astonished. She knew that all Water dragons were blessed with the gift of prophecy, but she had never imagined that it would be staring her in the face like this, that it would directly affect her. "W-what about the third one?" was all she could think of to say.
"He will go on an epic quest in search of something worthy of protection," said the white Nocturne.
"So, same as any other Guardian, then," said Nautilus.
"Yes."
Nautilus, Fluorine, and the flock of Nocturnes looked at the three infant Guardians in wonder. Nautilus' demeanor seemed to shift subtly. He stood straighter and with more pride, and there was a light in his eyes, a look of purpose. He stood closer to the hatchlings and gave each of them an affectionate caress.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, Nautilus told Fluorine what she had suspected was true last night: he had finally found his Charge. "I know now that my purpose in life is to raise Hydrogen and Oxygen to be the best dragons they can be," he told her. "I will stay here and watch over them for as long as they live."
He already knew that Fluorine was as certain of her purpose in life as he now was, and that that meant she would have to travel on. She agreed to take Nitrogen back with her to her home clan, where he could grow up among many different dragon breeds and someday go off on a Search of his own. Fluorine and Nitrogen parted ways as good friends, and she departed for her return to her home clan later that same day. She knew she would have to hurry if she wanted to be back before Nitrogen grew too large for her to carry in her arms.
When she returned to the cave in the Crystalspine Reaches where her clan lived, Cerulia was there waiting for her in the cave mouth. "Fluorine, you're back," the azure Guardian said. "Welcome back. We had to move while you were away. I'm here to show you the way to our new lair."
"We moved?" Fluorine said. "When?"
"On the day of the Longest Night. We're still settling in. Father and Talia and I have been taking turns keeping watch over the old lair, waiting for you to return. The new one has much more space for you and your new hatchling there."
"But wasn't this place Devon's Charge? He must have been heartbroken to leave it."
"He almost was, but let me show you how we finally convinced him to."
Cerulia took off from the ledge at the entrance to the cave, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked Fluorine off her feet. She regained her balance and followed her friend up into the air, where the Guardian abruptly vanished into a nearly-invisible circle of yellow-white light. She reappeared from it just as suddenly.
"See?" she said with a grin. "We found a stable spatial warp. The other end of it is in the Starwood Strand, right next to our new lair. Father can come back here and stand watch over our old lair as much as he wants, then come home to his family. He can keep watch over both halves of his Charge without having to be away from either of them for too long. He's very happy with the arrangement."
"That's great!" said Fluorine. "Let's go see the new lair!"
Fluorine and Cerulia flew through the spatial warp together. The other end of the warp was above the treetops of the Starwood Strand, closer to the ground than where they had been. Fluorine nearly tied herself into a knot trying to reorient herself. Cerulia laughed. "Yeah, it's a little disorienting the first time you go through it," she said. "You all right?"
"I'm fine," said Fluorine, making sure Nitrogen was still safe in his linen sling. He was. "Let's go home."
Cerulia led the way to the new lair and showed Fluorine around. It was in a moderately well-hidden forest glade, where the ground and the tree limbs glittered with snow. "It was almost completely invisible in the summer, when all the trees had leaves," Cerulia explained. "I think Enchantment and Morrigan are still working on carving their burrows in that tree over there."
"Awesome!" said Fluorine. "I love it here already! I want to get started right away."
"I'll see if I can get Quoddy to watch the little one for you while you work. She just had her own clutch not too long ago."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Time passed. Fluorine created her own burrow in the spacious, ancient tree where the other two Spirals lived. Amaranthus, delighted to see her back, built a roost in the branches of that same tree. The way the nighttime lights of the Starwood Strand reflected off his faceted scales reminded her of why they'd become mates in the first place. She decided that there was no better place to raise her next nest than her new home.
@UlvDakota @sgkat
[color=magenta][size=3][b]Hatchling Update #4[/b][/size][/color]
There were three more eggs in this clutch!
[b]Rhenium[/b]
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20135960]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/201360/20135960_350.png[/img]
[/url]
I was lucky enough to get a baby noodle this time! I love baby noodles :)
[b]Nickel[/b]
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20135961]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/201360/20135961_350.png[/img]
[/url]
Almost identical to her eldest brother Antimony, only with Iridescent instead of Crystal and a girl.
[b]Neodymium[/b]
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20135962]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/201360/20135962_350.png[/img]
[/url]
@UlvDakota @sgkat
[color=magenta][size=3][b]Hatchling Update #5 (and #6)[/b][/size][/color]
This is a double update! The last time I bred Fluorine, I didn't have time to post an update. I have some time tonight, so I'm posting my fifth and sixth clutches in the same post.
Clutch #5 only had two eggs:
[b]Neptunium[/b]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/207199/20719803_350.png[/img]
[b]Germanium[/b]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/207199/20719804_350.png[/img]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Clutch #6 had three eggs. I rented a Lightning nest from a friend, who was nice enough to hatch them on Leap Day - and I think they're my cutest babies yet from this project! I'll definitely be keeping these for a while. :) (I want to write more lore for this clutch, but I don't have time or focus right at the moment. I will ping again when I get it written and posted.)
[b]Iron[/b]
[IMG]http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/barbarafett/Flight%20Rising/Iron-hatchling.png[/IMG]
<3 <3 <3
[b]Americium[/b]
[IMG]http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/barbarafett/Flight%20Rising/Americium-hatchling.png[/IMG]
She is definitely my favorite hatchling from this project so far. She's going to be around for a while.
[b]Ruthenium[/b]
[IMG]http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/barbarafett/Flight%20Rising/Ruthenium-hatchling.png[/IMG]
@UlvDakota @sgkat
Hatchling Update #5 (and #6)
This is a double update! The last time I bred Fluorine, I didn't have time to post an update. I have some time tonight, so I'm posting my fifth and sixth clutches in the same post.
Clutch #5 only had two eggs:
Neptunium
Germanium
Clutch #6 had three eggs. I rented a Lightning nest from a friend, who was nice enough to hatch them on Leap Day - and I think they're my cutest babies yet from this project! I'll definitely be keeping these for a while. :) (I want to write more lore for this clutch, but I don't have time or focus right at the moment. I will ping again when I get it written and posted.)
Iron
<3 <3 <3
Americium
She is definitely my favorite hatchling from this project so far. She's going to be around for a while.
Ruthenium
Hatchling Update #5 (and #6)
This is a double update! The last time I bred Fluorine, I didn't have time to post an update. I have some time tonight, so I'm posting my fifth and sixth clutches in the same post.
Clutch #5 only had two eggs:
Neptunium
Germanium
Clutch #6 had three eggs. I rented a Lightning nest from a friend, who was nice enough to hatch them on Leap Day - and I think they're my cutest babies yet from this project! I'll definitely be keeping these for a while. :) (I want to write more lore for this clutch, but I don't have time or focus right at the moment. I will ping again when I get it written and posted.)
Iron
<3 <3 <3
Americium
She is definitely my favorite hatchling from this project so far. She's going to be around for a while.
Ruthenium